Machine for topping beets



July 16, 1940. M. FxLJUGlN ET Ax. u 2,207,943

I MACIINE FOR ToPPING BEETS Filed `july 21, '1938 2 sheets-sheet 1 July 16, 1940. M. PILJUGXN ET Al.'

MACHINE'FOR TOPIPING BEETS Filed July 2l, 1938 2 Sheets-SheeI 2 ig'.

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Patented July 16, 1940 PATENT yCF'FICIEI MACHINE Fon 'roPPlNG BEETS Michail riljugin `and Wassily Piljugin, Moscow, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Application July 21, A1938, Serial No. 220,580. In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics April 1go, 1936 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a machine for harvesting beet crops of the kind in which all harvesting operations arel performed, from digging roots out of the groundup to delivering roots cleaned from the soil to the storage or for further treatment.

In the machines of this kind the topping device'removing the tops and the uppermost peel from the root heads is followed by a device serving to dig the roots out of the ground, which device is followed by the means serving to remove the soil particles adhering to the roots andto convey the cleaned roots to the collecting v chest.

In the well known machines of this kind the topping device comprises twomain members, namely, a feeler roller which after having run over the root sets the topping device at the suitable height, and knives which cut away the tops together with the upper part of the root head. Actually the cut takes place at different' height from the ground whereby a considerable part of the sugary substance islost. Moreover the cut surface becomes rough resulting in rotting of the root so that prolonged storing of the roots harvested in this way is impossible.

It is well known` also to try to cut the root heads in such a manner as to obtain a spherical cut.' For this purpose different forming and milling cutters have been employed' but all these trials have so far failed.

One of the important causes of this failure is the impossibility to attain a conformity inthe action of the feeler and cutting devices' when operating on rough ground and with the roots seated at different heights.

According to the present invention the disadvantages above mentioned are removed by providing new means permitting to obtain aperfectly ysmooth and substantially spherical cut independently of the roughness of the ground and of the depth at'which the roots are lying. Whatever the depth of different roo-ts may be, the cutters being suitably arranged always penetrate into the head of each root to such extent as to take away a layer of the prescribed thickness. 'I'he distinctive feature of this invention is that the knives serve' at thesame time also as feeler members. The new means according to this invention renders it impossible to cut a layer of the -root thicker than it is necessary, so that any loss ofthe valuable sugary substance is exeluded.v

The topping is performedA with three or less or more knives acting in different directions so that the root head is treated in such a manner as to obtain a spherical surface. The firstV knife not only co-acts with other two knives in cutting the peel, but also cuts off and removes the tops.

The topped roots are then dug out of the 51 ground, freed from the soil particles adhering to them, and fed to the collecting chest, the tailing and removing of the top may also take place. The 'beets vthus harvested may, as provedby experience,be preserved for a long time. 10

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side View of the cutting device which may be employed as an independent machine lor as a part of a harvesting machine. Figs. 2 and 3 area section and 15 an` elevation of one form of the cutting device which aty the same time is alsozavfeeler device, Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views of a second form of device. Figs. 6, 'l `show'two embodiments of arrangement of the cutting device and their 20 connection to the driving gear of the harvesting machine. Fig'. 8 shows diagrammatically how the successive cuts by means of the separate cutting devices take place, and Fig. 9 sho-ws two cutting devices according to Fig. 1 as seen from the 25 back. 1 f' i i As stated, the main feature of this invention isv` vthe arrangementof the cutting device as such in such manner that' it constitutes also the feeler. According toFigs. 2, 3 and 4, 5 this device com- 30 prises a screw-knife 'the cutting edge I of which represents the one-or multiple thread and isr confined by' a cylindrical outer surface 2, thus having no clearance angle. The distance between the cutting edge I and the next back side of the neighbouringtwist is substantially shorter'. than the diameter of the root 4 to be gripped, equalizing approximately to 0.2-0.5 of the diameter of the root head. When the screw-knife is brought into engagement with the root head o 4 and is brought into rapidl rotation while press-l ing on the root with its own weight or with an additionalv load, the edge l, when moving along the roo-t, cuts off a chipl thev thickness of which depends upon the distance to which the spherical part of the head 4 advances into the groove of the screw-knife. Thus, the cutting edge, as it is clearly shown in the drawings, cannot penetrate intothe root deeper than it could be admitted by the width of this groove, that it is to say by the distance between two neighbouringV twists of the screw-knife. Atthe same time thel screw-knife being.rotatedf'ilnder pressure on the ground surface descends into it and faces the root which Vprevents it from its further descending.

This instant the screw-knife begins to act as a feeler device.

In order to limit the descent of the knives into the ground the slides 6 (Figs. 3 and 5) or supporting rollers 'I (Fig. 1) are provided. Figs. 6 and 7 show two forms of the arrangement of the screw-knives and their connection to the main driving shaft of the harvesting machine.

According to Fig. 6 three knives are indicated I, II and III. These knives are arranged horizontally, the knife I forming an angle 45 with relation to the direction of the movement of the harvesting machine, the knife II being arranged perpendicular to this direction, and the knife III forming again an angle 45 with this direction but in opposite direction to the knife I.

Fig. 8 shows how the cutting occurs by the successive travel of all three knives. lIfhe first knife I encountering the root rolls over it and as the circumferential speed of the knife is many times as great as the progressive speed of the machine the root 4 is cut in direction of the arrows A. 'Ihe tops are cut and thrown away owing to the rotation o-f the knife. 'Ihe second knife II performs a cut in direction as shown at B, while the third knife cuts as shown at C. The root head obtains thus a substantially spherical surface.

Another arrangement of the knives I, II, III'is shown in Fig. 7. The knife I is arranged horizontally (as in Fig. 6) at 45 with relation to the direction of the movement ofthe machine, the knives II and III being arranged perpendicular to this direction but slightly inclined in opposite direction. This arrangement is shown also in Fig. 9 demonstrating the manner in which the knives roll over the root head. Figs. 6 and 7 show at the same time the driving connection between the knives and driving mechanism of the harvesting machine. As it is seen, the driving axle 8 by means of the bevel gear 9 turns the shaft III connected through the chain drive II with the second shaft I2. The shaft I0 operates the driv- 'ing means for the knife I comprising the bevel gears I3 and I4, connected to each other by means of the shaft I5. The bearings of the shafts I5 and I6 are secured to the crank pipe I1 (Fig. 1) pivotally connected to the shaft I0, said connection permitting the cutting device to press with its own weight upon the ground whereby the cutting edge I may descend into same, and adjusts itself to the root head. In the embodiment of the invention according to Fig. 1 the rollers 'I pivotally connected to the pipes I1 serve to limit the deepening of the edge I.

The cutting devices II and III are driven from.

the shaft I2 by means of the gear I8, I9 secured` to the shaft 20 and by means of the other gears ZI, 22 secured to the shaft 23. The shaft 2i] together with its bearing and gears is located in a crank pipe 24 and the shaft 23 in a crank pipe 25, both pipes being pivotally connected to the shaft I2 (Fig. 1).

The cutting device I should preferably be ro-y tated in the direction opposite to that of the harvesting machine in order that said device will throw oi the tops. The rotation of the cutting vice for topping the beet, serving simultaneously as a feeler for locating the beetroot in the soil, as a topper and as a device for limiting the depth of cut, said device including knives formed by a surface of revolution with spiral cutting edges formed by a spiral groove and the surface of revolution, the distance between one cutting edge and the backedge of the spiral nearest to it, being less than the diameter of the. top of the beetroot, the clearance angle of the cutting edge being j Azero; means for rotating the knives and means mounting the knives whereby they may be raised when rolling over the tops of the beetroots protruding from the surface of the soil.

2. In' machines for harvesting beetroot, a device for topping the beetroot, serving simultane- -ously as a feeler for locating the beetroot,V as a topper and as av device for limiting the depth of cut, said device including three knives of cylindrical form with cutting edges of spiral form, the distance between the cutting edge and the back edge of the spiral being much less than the diameter'of the beetroot, the clearance angle of the cutting edge being zero, the first of the three knives being located in a horizontal plane at an angle of 45 to the direction of the machines movement, the second of the three knives being located in a horizontal plane perpendicularly to the direction. of the machines movement, the third knife being located in a horizontal plane but at an angle of to the rst mentioned knife,l

with cutting edges of spiral form, the distance between cutting' edge and back edge of the spiral being much less than the diameter ofthe top of the beetroot, the clearance angle of the cutting edge being zero, the rst of the three knives being located in a horizontal plane at an angle of 45 to the direction of the machines movement, the other two knives being arrangedr at an angle of 90 to the direction `of the machines movement but located each in a separateplane, both planes inclined to the horizontal but in opposite directions; v,means rotating the knives, and means mounting the knives whereby they maybe raised when rolling over the tops of beetroots protruding from the soil'.l v f i 4. A device for topping beetroot, lserving simultaneously as a fee-ler for locating the beetroot, as a topperr and as a device for limiting the depth of cut and comprising three knives of cylindrical form with cutting edges of spiral form, the distance `between the cutting edge and the back-edge of the spiral being much less thanV the diameter of the top of the beetroot, the clearance angle of the-cutting edge being zero; meansv forA rotating the knives, drive means including shafts;l and means mounting the knives whereby they may be raised when rolling over the tops of the beetroot comprising crank-shaped tubes pivoted to said shafts. p

MICI-IAILI PILJUGIN. WASSILY PILJUGIN. 

